1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to administrative systems, and more particularly to managing various procedures in a distributed computing environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Administrative servers are operated to execute administrative procedures on the client. Invariably, the administrative procedure must be installed on the client prior to any attempt by the administrative server to execute the administrative procedure on the client. In a highly distributed computing environment, the administrative server may have the responsibility of executing a significant number of administrative procedures on each client. However, it is impractical, if not infeasible, to store each administrative procedure on each client. Additionally, a client can misuse the administrative procedure. Such misuse, whether intentional, unintentional, or inadvertent, can result in administrative problems. For example, a client may open a port of a firewall that is intended to be closed, and a hacker who otherwise would not have access to the environment may enter through the opened port. Also by example, a client may close a port of a firewall that is intended to be open whereby an e-business is shut down.
The computer industry is therefore continually striving to improve upon the management of administrative procedures in a highly distributed computing environment.
One form of the present invention is a first method for managing an administrative procedure. In one embodiment, a first set of one or more administrative procedures are stored on an administrative server. A second set of one or more administrative procedures is stored on a client. A centralized management of the three sets of administrative procedures is provided to the administrative server.
In a second embodiment, a first set of one or more administrative procedures is stored on a client. An administrative procedure is selected to be executed on the client. A determination of whether an execution of the administrative procedure on the client is in compliance with one or more polices is performed.
In a third embodiment, an administrative procedure is to be executed on the client is selected. A script corresponding to the selected administrative procedure is pushed from a remote location to the client.
A second form of the present invention is a distributed computing system comprising an administrative server and a client operable to store a first set of one or more administrative procedures. In one embodiment, the administrative server is operable to store a second set of one or more administrative procedures, and to centrally manage both sets of administrative procedures.
In a second embodiment, the administrative server is operable to determine if an execution of an administrative procedure on the client is in compliance with one or more polices.
A third form of the present invention is a computer program product in a computer usable medium. The computer program product comprises a means for selecting an administrative procedure to executed on a client; and a means for pushing a script corresponding to the administrative procedure from a remote location to the client.
The foregoing forms and other forms, features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.